Rob Ford drops out of Toronto mayoral race; Doug Ford running in his place

TORONTO (NEWS1130) – Rob Ford’s brother Doug Ford has jumped into the Toronto mayoral race after the ailing mayor dropped out just an hour before the nomination deadline closed on Friday afternoon.

Rob Ford, 45, is now running for a council seat in Ward 2, Etobicoke North, one that he held for a decade before he became mayor in 2010. His older brother filed his nomination papers to run for mayor shortly after at city hall and had only this to say: “I’m good. I’m signed in and 100 per cent running for mayor.”

Their nephew, Michael Ford, who was running for councillor in Ward 2, withdrew his nomination and filed to run as a Toronto District School Board trustee in Ward 1.

The mayor, who remains in hospital with an abdominal tumour, withdrew from the Toronto mayoral race shortly before 1 p.m.

In a statement, he said, “My heart is heavy when I tell you that I’m unable to continue my campaign for re-election as your Mayor.

“Now I could be facing a battle of my lifetime, and I want the people of Toronto to know that I intend to face this challenge head on, and win.”

But he said that while he was unable to commit to the heavy schedule required of a mayoral candidate he would still run for councillor in Ward 2 while focusing on getting better.

Doug Ford said he’d speak about his mayoral bid at 7 p.m. from his mother Diane’s home in Etobicoke.

Rival reaction

Mayoral candidate Olivia Chow said her thoughts were with the mayor and his family.

“It can’t be an easy time for them today,” she said, recalling how Ford was “very, very supportive” when her late husband Jack Layton died in August 2011 only a month after the then NDP opposition leader disclosed his cancer was back.

The widow said she wished a speedy recovery for Ford and that he’s out campaigning in Ward 2.

Chow also said she phoned Doug Ford to send a message of support for his brother after he was hospitalized earlier this week but she declined to comment about Doug as a mayoral candidate.

“I do look forward to debating him in the future,” she said, adding that her campaign platform hasn’t changed.

On the other hand, mayoral candidate John Tory was more political.

While he wished the mayor a speedy and healthy recovery and welcomed his brother to the mayor’s race, Tory – who has a huge lead in the most recent polls by Forum Research and Nanos Research — urged voters not to vote for another Ford.

“Doug Ford, who’s now a candidate for mayor, has repeatedly put down the members of city council, who were his colleagues, and he has publicly disparaged the premier of this province and the members of cabinet,” he said. “So I don’t’ think Doug Ford offers Toronto more of the same. In fact he may offer Toronto something that is worse.”

Voters head to the polls on Oct. 27.

Ford’s health

On Wednesday, doctors discovered the mayor had a “fair size” abdominal tumour after he went to Humber River Hospital for unbearable abdominal pain, an issue he faced for about three months.

It remains unclear whether the tumour, which was biopsied on Thursday, is cancerous. Results wouldn’t be available for about a week, Ford’s doctor Zane Cohen said after he was transferred to Mount Sinai Hospital for further tests.

Dr. Cohen, an internationally recognized colorectal surgeon, said Ford was resting comfortably and had some pain, for which he was receiving medication. Ford had abdominal surgery in 2009 to remove a tumour on his appendix. His father, Doug Ford Sr., died of colon cancer in 2006.

Ford has faced a series of drug, alcohol and other scandals over the past 18 months but had been a viable contender for mayor.

Mayor Rob Ford released the following statement to media today:

As many of you know I’ve been dealing with a serious medical issue, the details of which are unknown. But I know that with the love and support of my family, I will get through this.

I want to thank the residents of Toronto for your wishes and prayers and I also want to thank the amazing staff at Humber River Hospital and Mount Sinai Hospital for the care and compassion you have shown, not just me, but all the people who come here to get better.

People know me as a guy who faces things head on and never gives up, and as your Mayor I have done just that. I derailed the gravy train, cut unnecessary spending and made government more accountable. I did this by facing these challenges head on.

Now I could be facing a battle of my lifetime, and I want the people of Toronto to know that I intend to face this challenge head on, and win.

With the advice of my family and doctors I know I need to focus on getting better. There is much work to be done and I can’t give it my all at this point in time.

My heart is heavy when I tell you that I’m unable to continue my campaign for re-election as your Mayor.

While I’m unable to commit to the heavy schedule required for a Mayoral candidate I will not turn my back on Ward 2. I will be running as Councillor of Ward 2, to represent the fine folks that have become my neighbours and friends over these past 14 years.